Light the Fire
by coexist love
Summary: Diana and Maia are victims of one of the bombings in Trial by Fire.
1. Diana's POV

Title: Light the Fire

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the 4400.

Summary: A "Trial by Fire" what if that includes Diana's thoughts during the episodes and what happens when Maia is targeted during the bombings.

Author's Note: I'm sorry; this idea was just itching to get out. I will work on both this and I'll Worry About You While You're Gone simultaneously.

Chapter 1

When we got word of the first bombing I dismissed it. Then the second bombing occurred and we realized a pattern. The vic…one of the 4400, the weapon…a bomb with a trip wire trigger…the motive….fear, most likely. But still we analyzed the clues and came up with nothing. Not a piece of DNA, not one fingerprint, nothing.

Tom and I were both starting to get scared. He for his nephew Shawn, and I for Maia. It was around this time that I decided that it may be a wise decision to bring her back to quarantine. I talked to her about it, stated my case, and asked her for her opinion. She started crying. She kept asking me if I hated her, if she had done something wrong. At that point all I could do was take her into my arms and promise her that she could stay with me if she wanted to.

But then the third bombing happened to a nice couple, part of the 4400 named Richard Tyler and Lily Moore, they were a nice couple. I had interviewed them in quarantine, back when I felt that the 4400 were vectors for disease. The couple was very pleasant to be around, they kept to themselves, didn't cause much of a fuss, well except for when Lily was arrested for trying to break a restraining order. Other than that I don't understand why they were targeted.

Fortunately, neither of them were hurt, there were just a few minor scrapes and now they're living with that Collier guy. There was something about Collier that gave me the creeps. Ever since I saw him on the Barbara Yates show.

Going through the debris from the bombing we didn't find anything else. Just the same as we had the past few times we'd taken samples. No prints. No DNA. I decided to run a chemical analysis on the bomb finding that catalyst was a homemade plastic boiled down from bleach.

It seemed like the more evidence we collected the more we turned up short. The most we had was a profile. The bomb design was as basic as one could get, an amateur. Beyond that, we had nothing.

Tom soon developed a Marco like persona, having to listened to my rantings about the ripple effect, his theory was that the bombings were that ripple. I had to give him credit. Compared to how he talked to my fellow science geeks in the theory room a few months ago, he was starting to sound like them. It was actually kind of scary. \

I said that I would check the list of victims in the Knox murders and would get back to him if I found a ripple and then I took off, already late to pick up Maia.

I drove to her school rushing to make sure that nothing had happened to her. When I arrived I found her outside with her teacher. The teacher asked to speak with me for a moment and I apologized for being late only to be cut off as she explained to me that Maia was a security risk for the school with the bombings. I told her that I understood.

After she left, I kept my mask of understanding on as I walked Maia over to the car promising her that we would find somewhere else for her to go to school. Deep down inside I was infuriated. So infuriated that I would have marched right back in there and given the teacher a piece of my mind had I not been worried for Maia's safety as well.

Maia assured me that it was okay but I told her that it wasn't okay, that it was wrong. Then she told me about someone that was coming. My brow furrowed at the notion, I wondered, who was coming? What she meant by that? Was Maia going to be taken away from me? No of course not. She was my responsibility.

We drove to the store. I had to pick up a few things. Maia and I walked into the store and selected; bread, various deli meats, a few snack foods, some ice cream, soup, and hot chocolate. For a treat we picked up some marshmallows. We checked out, I paid the bill, and we headed back to the car.

But something didn't seem quite right. I told Maia to get in the car, and she climbed into the backseat as I loaded the groceries into the trunk. Afterwards I climbed back into the car and buckled my seatbelt. No more being reckless. I inserted the key into the ignition and I tired to turn it.

The car was making a humming noise, kind of like the one that it makes when the battery dies. I tried again but the engine made the same noise. So I popped the hood to take a look at the engine. Maia followed me out to the front of the car where I pried open the hood and looked at the interior and my eyes widened with horror.

There was a blasting cap attached to the engine. Next to it, a time that was counting down…10…9…8...I stood still until my instincts kicked in.

"Maia, run!" I shouted.

Maia started running and I followed close behind her. I pictured the clock going down…6…5…4. My heart pounded. My head was sweating. Somehow I knew that I wasn't going to outrun this…3…2…1.

Suddenly I heard a popping sound and I was blown off my feet by the explosion and tossed onto the pavement. I heard screams. I don't know where they were coming from. People were shouting, to call for an ambulance a few were just standing by in awe. I didn't see much more before the darkness consumed me.

TBC

Author's Note: Okay, as you can probably tell this is going to be an alternate universe story, which I don't often write but I've decided to try my hand at it. Let me know what you think of the first chapter.


	2. Tom's POV

Chapter 2

TOM'S POV

Ryland found me in my office shortly after Diana departed to pick up Maia. I could tell by the look on his face that it wasn't good news.

"Tom, another bombing just occurred, its at Stop and Shop," he said. "Call Diana and tell her to meet you there?"

"Okay," I said as I gathered up the paperwork and headed out the door. I pulled out my cell phone and called Diana. I got no answer. I hung up and decided that I would call again in few minutes. I got in my car and drove down the road calling Diana's cell phone again a few minutes later.

As her answering machine picked up I decided to leave a message, knowing that she would check her phone later. "Diana, it's Tom. Ryland just gave me word that there's been another bombing. He told me it was at the Stop and Shop. When you get this message, meet me there."

I hung up the phone and preceded the Stop and Shop. I turned on the car radio as the new Howie Day song resonated through one of my favorite radio stations.

_Even the best fall down sometimes_

_Even the wrong words seem to rhyme_

_Out of the doubt that fills my mind_

_I somehow find, you and I collide_

I found myself singing to lyrics as I thought of Diana. She had such strength to her but she was so approachable and easy to talk to. Yet, she always seemed so alone, like she didn't really know how to make a relationship work.

I pulled into the Stop and Shop parking lot and saw that the police and paramedics had already arrived on the scene. I parked the car on the road and walked over to where the general wreck had occurred but a noise stopped me.

I heard someone moan. I looked over and saw Diana was lying on the pavement, the back of her jacket burned off by the flames. The paramedics gently lifted her and placed her on her side on the gurney. The burns were clearly second degree, her back was red and moist with fluid coming out of them. She appeared to be writhing in pain as the paramedics fastened the straps around her petite frame and my heart fell.

"Oh my god," I muttered. I was about to run to the gurney but another voice stopped me.

"I'm okay," Maia said as a paramedic tended to the scrapes that she had suffered. I ran over to the little girl knowing that Diana would want someone to make sure that she was safe. I approached the paramedic and knelt down beside Maia. "Tom," the little girl announced.

"Hey, Maia," I said. "How are you doing?"

"She has a few scrapes here and there, nothing that a little Neosporin won't fix," the paramedic reported.

"So she doesn't need to go to the hospital?" I asked.

"No, she doesn't," the paramedic said.

"That's good," I said turning back to Maia. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"We left the store with all out groceries," Maia began in her soft voice. "Diana tried to start the car but it wouldn't start. She went to check the engine and I followed her, and then she told me to run. So I ran, and she followed me. A few seconds later, the car blew up. Is Diana okay?"

"They're taking her to the hospital."

"She's burned badly isn't she?"

"She is Maia," I said. "I'm going to go check on her; do you want to stay here?"

"No," Maia answered. "Can I come with you?"

"Come on," Tom said taking the little girl by the hand as he walked over to where Diana was being loaded into the ambulance. "Excuse me, sir. I'm her partner. How is she?"

"The burns don't look good; we have to get her to the hospital for debriment," the EMT said.

"Is okay if I follow you in my car?"

"Sure," the EMT said. "We're taking her to Virginia Mason Hospital on 9th Avenue."

"Okay, I'll follow you," I said as I looked towards the gurney.

Diana was lying on her side like a doll that could bend at its knees. Her right arm was stretched out so that it was straight and her left arm was resting on her abdomen. Her back, neck, and the back of her arms were badly burnt and the second degree burns seems as if all of the fluids in her body were spilling out of her.

"She's going into shock." One of the paramedics replied as he checked Diana's pulse. "She's lost too much fluid."

"Okay, we've got to move," the paramedic said as they loaded her into the ambulance. As the doors closed to the ambulance I turned my attention back to Maia.

"Is Diana going to be okay?" the little girl asked.

"Yeah," I said. "She'll be okay."

Maia held up her arms and I bent down to hug the little girl. As she buried my face in my neck I let a tear fall as I thought of the possibilities that could happen with Diana and the little girl she would leave behind if, god forbid, she died.

"Come on," I said breaking the embrace. "Lets go to the hospital."

Author's Note: Okay as you can tell now this story is going to go from three main points of view: Diana's, Tom's, and Ryland's. Thank you to everyone who reviewed as especially to JeminaWeasly.


	3. Ryland's POV

Chapter 3: Ryland's POV

The bombings that have plagued the 4400 have terrified me. When I first heard that the names had been leaked to the internet, my first thought went to Diana and Tom. I wanted to scream. My two best agents had close ties to the 4400 and I was worried that I might lose them.

When the forth bombing occurred reports on the news said that there were two victims. I thought that it could have been anyone on that list but then they gave descriptions of the victims. The first description was of en eight year old girl and I immediately thought, _Maia._ Then they said that there was an adult who was carrying an NTAC security pass, and my brain made the connection that it was Diana and Maia in the car.

I had tried to convince myself otherwise, and sent Tom over to investigate. But then Tom called me from the hospital. He told me that Diana and Maia had been that targets.

Now I'm in my car driving to the hospital with trees whizzing by as the speedometer climbs at a steady pace. I know that I am breaking the speed limit, but the roads seem clear and I don't think I'm in danger of being tagged by any cops. As I drive my hands grip the steering wheel and my heart pounds with fear.

Diana had always been like my daughter. All my agents were like my children. But Diana was like my little girl. As most fathers and daughters I could be very protective of her, but at the same time I knew she could hold her own. But still, the thought of her getting hurt terrified me. She was so small that I could just imagine her bones breaking and the thought almost made me shiver.

As I arrived at the hospital, I started to go into a full panic. I parked the car and ran into the entrance, to the nurse's station.

"I'm looking for Diana Skouris, she was brought in with second degree burns to her back and neck," I said.

"Spell her last name, please," the nurse commanded.

"S-K-O-U-R-I-S."

A few moments later the nurse looked up, "She's in the burn unit, undergoing debridement."

"Okay, can you please, tell me where the burn unit is?"

"The burn unit is on the third floor in the right wing," the nurse said.

'Thank you," I said taking off to the elevator. I took the first elevator that opened and rushed in, I pressed the button for number three and waited anxiously as the numbers climbed from one to three before the doors opened again.

When the doors finally opened, I ran to the right and dashed through the halls, following the signs that said "burn unit" until I saw Tom sitting on a padded bench in the hallway. Maia was sleeping with her head on his lap. With a hand on Maia's shoulder, Tom stared blankly through the glass window, across the way.

"Tom, has there been any news?" I asked. Tom didn't answer and I looked through the window to see the doctors peeling the dead skin off Diana's back, leaving a raw layer of her epidermis exposed. There were tubes coming from both Diana's hands, a ventilator trailing into her mouth, her chest rising and falling with its assistance.

'The room is a hypobaric chamber," Tom muttered. "The doctors said that oxygen therapy would help flush out her burns. Then she'll be moved to a private room where the therapists will begin to rehabilitate her."

'How long have they been in there?"

"An hour, they said it would take at least three. Then they'll let her rest, and let us visit for a few moments. Then tomorrow they're going to replace the skin she lost with cadaver skin."

"How's Maia doing?"

"She's confused and tired." Tom reported looking down at the little girl on his lap. "The doctors said that there's a chance that she will lose her hearing due to her proximity to the bomb. How is she going to take care of Maia if that happens?"

"We'll find a way to help her through it. Maia won't have to lose another parent."

"This isn't right," Tom said. "Why go after Diana and Maia? They didn't do anything?"

"Hate," I answered. "That's what all this is."

I looked back through the window at Diana. She was so weak, and frail. Her skin was pale and had lost all its color. The redness of her burns stood out like a cardinal in a sea of doves against her white skin.

"What do you think the chances are that Diana will have scars?"

"Maybe fifty percent. There is no way for us to tell. We'll just have to wait."

In those moments I kept telling myself that everything would be alright. That Diana would wake up and recover from the explosion and be in perfect health.

Suddenly I heard a stirring sound behind me and I turned to see that Maia was sitting up next to Tom.

"Where's Diana?" Maia asked innocently.

"She's in with the doctor's, they're taking care of her," Tom said to the little girl.

"When can we see her?" Maia asked.

"When the doctors are finished. It may be a few more hours, why don't you go back to sleep Maia," Tom suggested.

Maia turned towards me and smiled. "Hello Mr. Ryland?"

"Hello Maia," I said. "How are you feeling."

"I have a small headache but other than that, I'm fine," Tom said.

Maia didn't seem like she was eight. The was she talked made her appear older. I can remember the time when she was sitting outside and I came out to see her. She looked at me and said, "But you didn't bring me here to talk about the weather."

"Diana will be okay right?" Maia asked turning back to Tom.

"Yeah," Tom said. As Maia settled back into his lap. "Yeah, she'll be alright."

TBC


	4. Diana's Mind

Chapter 4: Diana's POV

My eyelids are heavy. My body is sore. _Where am I? __What am I doing here?_

"Diana?" Someone asked.

I couldn't recognize the voice. Was that Tom?I can feel something surround my mouth and some weight on my hands. What happened? I can't remember.

"Come on Diana," the voice prompted again. "It's okay. Open your eyes."

I'm trying. I really am. It's just that my eyelids. They feel like they're glued together. 'Come on Diana, you can do it,' I coaxed myself. I willed my eyes to open and saw a small glimmer of light before I lost my strength.

"It's alright Diana, try again," the voice said.

Whoever this is, doesn't know how hard it is to be unconscious. This time I forced my eyelids open. The light is so strong in the room, that I have to close my eyes again so that they can adjust.

"Diana?" the voice asks again and by now I can recognize it.

It is Tom. But I can't look at him. I'm in too much pain to move.

There's a congestive feeling in my chest that is adding to my discomfort and without any will over my actions I begin to cough.

"Breathe in Diana," Tom instructs me and I force myself to breath in. There's an oxygen mask on my face forcing me to take deep breaths.

He took my hand in his own. It was warm. Then he reached his hand up and caressed my cheek. His fingers moved against my cheek; a slight brush, a tentative caress. It scared me. Why was Tom acting this way? Why were there tears building up in his eyes?

'Tom?" I asked weakly. My voice muffled by the mask. "Where am I? What happened?"

"You're in Virginia Madison," Tom answered. "You're car exploded." The manner in which he delivered the news scared me. His voice was calm and casual but it seemed like he was trying to hold something back. Why was he trying to hide something from me?

"I don't remember…" I said.

"It's okay. You don't have to remember now," Tom said his voice beginning to fill with emotion. "Just try to rest okay."

I finally managed to turn my head in his direction. "Tom, am I dying?"

"No," he tried to assure me his voice turning insistent. "No, Diana, you're not going to die?"

"Are you sure?" I asked, my voice barely audible. I was starting to lose my strength.

"Yes," Tom said. "I'm sure."

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm just," he looked at the floor for a minute. I started to doubt that he was telling the truth. "I'm happy to see you Diana."

"Don't be afraid," I said reaching my opposite hand out to his cheek. I could feel my energy draining and I felt like every moment that I stayed awake would be my last.

"I'm not," Tom insisted. "You're going to be okay Diana."

"You're such a bad liar," my voice sounded like a whisper now. I knew I only had a few moments before the darkness took me again. Suddenly, I felt myself fighting for breath. I was scared. What's happening? My chest is tightening. I can't breathe in.

"Diana?" Tom asked. "What's wrong?" I couldn't respond to him. I was seeing images. The hot chocolate...marshmallows. Car. Blasting cap. Running. Oh god, where's Maia? I heard the heart monitor beside my bed begin to run wild. "Honey?"

"Call…" I managed. "Call…doctor…." My hand began to shake violently.

Make it stop I pleaded in my mind. Please make it stop.

TBC


	5. Tom's POV 2

Author's Note: xdiagonstarx wanted me to write about what Tom was thinking when she couldn't breathe. So I just thought that I would fulfill the request.

Chapter 5: Tom's POV

We were just sitting there. Talking. She gave me a small smile and I smiled back. I noticed her eyelids begin to droop. She was slowly sinking into a peaceful sleep. I knew it.

Then suddenly her expression changed. Her pupils dilated and behind her brown eyes was a look of terror. Her deep breathing began to become short and raspy. It sounded oddly like she was choking.

"Diana?" I asked. I was trying to remain calm but I was panicking. "What's wrong?" I asked. Her eyes were growing distance and her breathing was becoming more labored as the minutes went on. Her lips were beginning to twist in pain and she began to whimper between her pants. "Honey?" I questioned.

My mind was going a hundred miles a minutes, it was like it disconnected from my body. I glanced quickly at the heart monitor to find that her pulse had accelerated. My mind kept telling me to find the call button but my body wouldn't allow me to. I cursed in my mind and prayed.

_Please don't let this be the end._

"Call," Diana managed in between her pants. "Call…doctor."

I looked down at her hand that I was holding. It felt clammy and was beginning to shake violently.

"I will Diana," I said as I searched the bed for her call button. By now my own heart was beating so fast that my own hand felt clumsy. "Dammit," I swore under my breath. Finally I found the button and pressed it.

"Yes?" a friendly voice answered.

"There's an emergency in here. Diana Skouris can't breathe," I said.

"Okay, sir, we'll send a doctor into the room," the voice said.

I almost didn't hear her. I was too busy watching Diana writhe around in the bed_. Oh god, please get here quickly!_ I prayed.

"Please…make…stop," Diana panted.

"It's okay Diana," I told her as I cradled her cheek in my hand. "The doctors are on their way."

"Can't…breathe…"

"I know. The doctors will check you out. It will be okay, sweetheart."

Did I just call her sweetheart? I feel very close to her, it was probably just a term of endearment that I used when I was caught up in the moment. _Oh god, please, don't let this be the end. _

Suddenly a doctor came through the door. "What's the problem?"

"She was fine one minute and the next she couldn't breathe," I said.

"Can you say your name for me Ms. Skouris?"

"Di…Diana" she panted.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the doctor said.

"Okay." I didn't want to fight with him. I just wanted him to help Diana get better and if that meant that I had to leave the room than so be it.

"No…let…him…stay."

"Its okay, Diana, I'll be back," I said. Her eyes continued to be transfixed in horror as she watched me leave the room.

"It's okay Ms. Skouris, just relax," The doctor said as I left the room.

I went into the hall where I sat on a bench. It's convenient how they have benches everywhere in the hospital. I wish the real world was like that. Whenever you had a crisis you could just sit down on the nearest bench instead of on some wall.

I held my head in both hands and sighed deeply_. That was scary._

Part of me wanted to look through the window and see how Diana was doing but the other part of me knew that if she was still struggling I wouldn't want to see her in such pain. So I sat and waited.


	6. Maia's POV

Chapter 5: Maia's POV

Mommy, I mean _Diana's_, boss, Mr. Ryland has taken me to the cafeteria to eat dinner. I know that he's nice, and friendly, but I also know that he will get a job in Washington D.C. and stop being my mommy's-Diana's-boss.

I don't really understand what's going on, just that the doctors are done taking care of mommy and that she is sleeping right now. Why do adults always see me and think that I am eight? I know much more than they do. For example, Tom's son, Kyle, he's the answer to everything that's happened these past few months. And Mommy, I mean Diana, is going to adopt me in the next year.

That last thought makes me happy. That Diana and I will be a real family. I couldn't tell exactly but I sensed something about her when she was talking to me before sending me home with the Griffins. That's when I had the vision, the one that said that Diana would take me home. I was determined to make that one come true.

"Maia, are you ready to go back upstairs?" Mommy's boss asks me.

I nod in response and follow him to the elevator which we take back to the third floor. As we reached Diana's room, we noticed Tom pacing back and forth outside Diana's room.

"Tom, what happened?" Ryland asked. "Did they kick you out?"

"No, Diana couldn't breath," Tom said. "I called the doctor and they booted me out while they worked on her."

"How long have they been in there?"

"Ten minutes," Tom replied as he cradled his head in his hands. "Oh god! It was so scary."

"What could it have been?" Ryland asked as he sat down and pulled me up on his lap. "What were you guys talking about?"

"I don't even remember," Tom said. "All I remember was that her eyes went from very calm to frightened in about a second. Her hand was shaking, and she was panting, she couldn't breathe."

Just then the doctor came out. "Mr. Baldwin?"

"Yes," Tom asked. "What's wrong?"

"She was having an anxiety attack," the doctor said. "She was starting to remember what happened before the explosion."

"That's all?" Tom asked.

"Yes, Mr. Baldwin, we're treating it with a mild sedative, it should help her get a good night's sleep," the doctor said. "She needs rest but she was asking for Maia."

Tom turned to look at me. "Can she go in for a few minutes."

"Yes," the doctor said. "She's very weak but it should be okay."

"Okay, thank you doctor," Tom said. The doctor left and Tom turned to me. "Maia, do you want to see Diana?"

"Yes," I answer. "Please."

"Okay," Tom said. "Let me go tell her you're coming in."

Tom got up and walked through the door to Diana's hospital room. I sat there for a little while. I had nothing to say. I contemplated telling Tom that the school had kicked me out but then I decided that Diana would probably be able to explain it better. I want to see Diana, I want to know that she's alright.

Tom comes out and motions for me to go in. I get up and enter the hospital room. There are machines all around her. They're beeping. I look over to the bed and see Diana lying there with her eyes closed. For a moment I think that she's asleep but then I climb onto the bed and fling my arms around her.

She opens her eyes and looks at me, "Maia, you're okay?"

"Yeah," I said.

"I was worried," she said. It's obvious that the drugs are taking effect. She lets out a few weak coughs before our conversation continues.

"Are you okay?"

"I will be," she whispered. "Don't worry. I will be." I started crying into Diana's chest. I had to tell her. I couldn't keep it to myself any longer. "Maia, what's wrong?"

"I knew the bomb was in the car when you opened the door," I cried. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you."

"It's okay," Diana said. "I'm not mad at you. I probably wouldn't have been able to outrun it anyway. I'm just glad that you're okay. That's all that matters."

She moved her hands so that they rested on my back and I wanted to stay in this moment all night. I closed my eyes and hoped that if I feel asleep they wouldn't remove me from the room. But soon I heard the door open and Tom came into the room.

"Maia, I'm sorry, but we have to leave." He said.

"Come here," Diana said weakly. I moved closer to her face on the bed and bent down. Diana kissed me on the cheek and then pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya," Maia said as she got down from the bed and exited the room.

TBC


End file.
